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Placement and Proficiency
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(217) 244-4437
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Departmental Proficiency Exams in Commonly Studied "Languages Other Than English"
(last updated April 24, 2023)

Studying a language other than English (a "LOTE") is a General Education requirement at Illinois. You must successfully complete either the third or the fourth level of a LOTE in order to fulfill your language requirement.

  • First and second levels refer to elementary-level language learning.
  • Third and fourth levels refer to intermediate-level language learning.
  • Some academic programs and majors require advanced-level language proficiency.

You take a placement test in your preferred LOTE if you plan to continue studying the language at Illinois and you do not already have college-level credit for the language in your Illinois academic record.

You take a proficiency test in your preferred LOTE if you don't plan to continue studying the language at Illinois, you have not yet fulfilled the Gen Ed language requirement, and you want to attempt to demonstrate your proficiency in the LOTE by testing.


  1. How can I satisfy the Gen Ed language requirement?

  2. Who can take a LOTE proficiency exam?

  3. Chinese

  4. French

  5. Japanese

  6. Korean

  7. Spanish

  8. I want to test in a less commonly studied language ...